Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spokesperson Josh Vlasto told the Wall Street Journal that the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, “starts immediately and existing staff is under the board’s direction until the chair makes further notice.”

But who has the authority to decide that? According to the rules governing JCOPE the commission members have to pick an executive director. As far as anyone knows the commission members haven’t met yet, so how would there be an executive director to decide that the current staff will serve? Here is the law:

“The commission shall: (a) Appoint an executive director who shall act in accordance with the policies of the commission. The appointment and removal of the executive director shall be made solely by a vote of a majority of the commission, which majority shall include at least one member appointed by the governor from each of the two major political parties, and one member appointed by a legislative leader from each of the two major political parties.”

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